Life-boat.



W. J. TEKIPPEL LIFE BOAT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 13, 1913. 1,078,471 Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

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LIFE BOAT.

a APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1913. 1,078,471. Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

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Wllll am fjlappe INVENTOR ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu. WASHINGTON. D. c.

tinirn srarns ATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM 3". TEKIPPE, OF NEW HAMEPTON, IOWA,

LIFE-BOAT.

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. i i Application filed January 13, 1913.

New Hampton, in the county of Chickasaw and State of Iowa,.have invented a new and useful Lite-Boat, of'which the following is a specification. V

The invention relates to improvements in lifeboats.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of life boats, and to provide a simple and comparatively in expensive and perfectly seaworthy lite boat, designed to. be carried on shipboard and launched in case of emergency and adapted comfortably accommodate a comparatively large number of persons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practically non-sinkable lite boat of this character, equipped with an air tank to enable it to float indefinitely until its occupants are rescued, and provided with means for completely protecting them from the elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thoroughly ventilated life boat, adapted to contain a relatively ltrge quantity of provisions and having an easily accessible outer deck for the accommodation oi lookout and for the convenience of the occupants of the life boat in fair Weather.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure l is a side elevation of a life boat, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central van 1 tical sectional view of the same. Fig.8 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a cylindrical vertical shell designed to be constructed of sheet. metal, or any other suitable material,

Specification "of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913;

Serial. no. 741,869.

and surrounded at an intermediate point by a horizontal cylindrical air tank 2, and secured at its lower end toan inverted sub stantially conical. shell or section 3, constructed of sheet metal or other suitable, material and riveted orotherw1se secured at l the top to the lower end of the vertical.

cylindrical shell. The downwardly tapered bottom section or shell 3 is equipped, at its lower end with a flanged collar 4, consisting of upper and lower angularly relatedannular flanges. The upper flange of the collar 4 is riveted or otherwise secured to tl lelower end of the section or shell 3and embraces the same, while the lower flange fits against and is secured to a ballasting weight 5 bolts, or other suitable fastening devices. The ballasting weight is preferably in the form of a ball and is adapted to. maintain the life boat in an upright position. The weight may be of. any other prefierred form, and it is designed to be of a size to correspond with the lifeboat.

In practice the life boat willbe made of various sizes to adapt it for service on passenger and other vessels;

The lower downwardly tapered section or shell 8 is provided with a plurality of hori zontal partitions 6 and 7 forming decks and dividing the bottom section into a plurality of storage compartments 8, adapted to con? tain provisions and various other articles. The bottom partition 6 constitutes the bot tom deck of the lower section and is located directly above the weight 5. Theother partitions 7, which :rnay be of any desired number, are equipped with hinged trap doors 9 to atl'ord a passageway from one compartment to the other.

The vertical shell 1, which may be circular or of any other preferred shape in cross section, is provided with top, bottom and intermediate horizontal partitions or decks 10, 11 and 12 dividing the said shell into a vertical series of compartments, designed for the accommodation of the occupants of the life boat. Any number of the horizontal decks or partitions may be employed, and

the intermediate and top decks orpartitions are provided with ventilating perforations 13 and have marginal flanges. 1a, which are rivrlilted or otherwise secured to the vertical she v The bottom deck or partition 11 is pro vided with a hinged trap door 15 to aiford access to the adjacent compartment 8 of the lower section or shell 3. The other horizontal decks or partitions of the main vertical shell 1 are provided with centrally alined rectangular openings 16, through which extends a central vertical support, which is in the form of a plurality of ladders. This central vertical support preferably consists of four corner uprights 17 and horizontal connecting rungs 18. The uprights 17, which are fitted in the corners of the openings 16, are secured at their lower ends 19 to the upper face of the bottom partition or deck 11, and they extend through the top of the main shell 1 and project up wardly from the same to support a conical hood 20. The rungs 18 are spaced a sufficient distance apart to enable persons to readily pass through them from the interior to the exterior of the central vertical support, and the said uprights and connecting rungs form four separate ladders and enable a plurality of persons to ascend and descend from one deck to another without interfering with each other. The central support constitutes a vertical passagewa which communicates with each of the compartments of the main shell. The support is braced by opposite outer ladders 21, ar ranged at an inclination and extending upwardly and inwardly from the top of the air tank 2 to the upper portion of the central vertical support and resting at an intermediate point against the main vertical shell at the upper end thereof. These ladders 21, which may be of any desired number, enable persons to descend from the top of the main shell to the top of the air tank, which is located below the upper end of the same.

The hood 20 is designed to be constructed of a plurality of sections of sheet metal or other suitable material, riveted or otherwise secured together, and it is suitably secured to the upper end of the central vertical support, and it is provided at its bottom with a depending annular flange 22, arranged in a vertical plane and extending below the plane of the top vertical partition 10, whereby the hood is adapted to thoroughly protect the interior of the life boat from the elements. The air tank 2, which is shown cylindrical, may be of any other preferred form, and it consists of a horizontal top 23, a horizontal bottom 24:, and an outer vertical wall 25. The outer vertical wall 25 is provided at its upper and lower edges with outwardly extending attaching flanges 26, which are riveted or otherwise secured to the top 23 and bottom 24 at the outer edges thereof, and the said top and bottom 23 and 2e are provided at their inner edges with attaching flanges 27 and 28, which are suitably secured to the outer face of the main vertical shell 1. The top 23 of the air tank constitutes an outer deck adapted to accommodate a lookout and other persons, and it is designed to be used by the occupants of the life boat in fair weather, and it is equipped at its outer edge with vertical posts 29, connected by a top rail 30 and adapted to support wire netting 31, bars, or other suitable material to form a protecting wall or barrier to prevent persons from falling off the outer deck.

The air tank is designed to contain air.

under a slight pressure to exclude water from the interior of the tank, and'an air pump 32 is employed for this purpose. The air pump 32, which may be of any desired type, is operated by means of a lever 33, and is preferably arranged upon the top of the air tank, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. It may, however, be arranged interiorly of the life boat or at any other convenient point, and the tank is also equipped with a pressure gage 3a and a relief valve 35. The pressure gage is adapted to indicate the air pressure within the air tank and the relief valve 35 will enable the pressure to be reduced should it become excessive.

The life boat is equipped on the exterior of the vertical wall with anchoring books 36, pivoted between spaced ears 3'? and preferably mounted at the outer face of the vertical wall of the air tank, as shown. The life boat is provided at its lower portion with fixed vertical blades 38, constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material and extending from the bottom of the air tank to the weight 5 and having their lower portions 39 cut at an angle and extending downwardly and inwardly to conform to the general taper of the lower shell or section 3 of the life boat. The blades, which are located at the front, back and sides of the lower portion of the life boat, are provided at their inner edges with laterally extending ears 40, which are riveted or otherwise secured to the lower portion of the main shell 1 and to the lower section or shell 3. The upper edges of the blades 38 are suitably secured to the bottom of the air tank preferably by means of ears 41, formed integral with the blades and extending from the upper edges of the same. Any other suitable fastening means may, however, be employed. The blades 38 are adapted to prevent the life boat from whirling around and enable the life boat to be easily paddled to carry it away from a sinking ship or from any other place.

The life boat is equipped with lights a2 and 43, which may consist of lanterns or lamps, or any other suitable lighting device. The lights L2 are located at opposite sides of the upper portion of the hood, and the lights 43 aresupported by the posts 29.

The life boat may be furnished interiorly in any preferred manner, and it is equipped at the bottom and intermediate decks or partitions 11 and 12 with benches 44, which may be used either as seats or berths. WVithin the lowermost compartment of the main vertical shell is arranged a toilet 45 of any suit able construction, preferably embracing a casing or inclosure and provided with a ventilating tube 46, extending through the main vertical shell and through the hood and provided at the top with a suitable cap or cowl 47. In one of the compartments of the main vertical shell, preferably the lowermost compartment, is arranged a drinking tank 48 having a faucet 4:9 and provided with a tube 50, extending through the main vertical shell and provided at the upper end with a funnel 51 to enable the tank to be filled with water from the top exteriorly of the life boat. The funnel is arranged beneath the hood and may be provided with any suitable closure. The hood is provided at its apex with a launching ring 52, and any suitable means may be employed for lowering the life boat into the water.

It will be understood that instead of making the life boat in the specific form shown in the drawings, it could be built more in the shape of a ship, and in such case suit able driving means and steering mechanism would have to be provided, the driving power to be obtained by any suitable motor.

I do not wish to be limited to the proportions as shown in the drawings for the boat can be built as wide or as long as desired.

What is claimed is 1. A life boat including a shell open at the top to permit the entrance of passengers, a

' support mounted within and extending above the shell, and a hood carried by the projecting portion of the support and arranged above and forming a cover for the shell and spaced from the latter to form a protected entrance to the said shell.

. 2. A life boat including a shell, a support mounted within and extending above the shell open at the top, and a substantially conical hood carried by the projecting portion of the support and arranged above and forming a cover for the shell, the bottom of the hood being of greater diameter than the top of the shell and having a depending portion extending below the plane of the said top of the shell to form a protected entrance.

3. A life boat including a shell, a support consisting of a ladder mounted within the shell and extending above the top thereof, and a hood mounted on the support at the upper end thereof and arranged in spaced relation with and forming a cover for the shell.

4. A life boat including a shell provided with a vertical series of compartments, a

support consisting of a ladder and extending through the said compartments and projecting above the shell, and a hood mounted upon the said support and arranged in spaced relation with the upper end of the shell. r

5. A life boat including a shell provided with a plurality of partitions dividing the shell into a vertical series of compartments and havingalined openings, and a support consisting of a ladder mounted within the shell and extending through the said openings and projecting above the shell, and a hood carried by the projecting portion of the support and forming a cover for the shell.

6. A life boat including a shell and having a tapered lower portion and provided at its lower end with a ballasting weight, said life boat being also provided at its upper portion with an exterior air tank surrounding the shell, and a plurality of blades mounted exteriorly of the lower portion of the life boat below the air tank and within the vertical plane of the periphery thereof and having downwardly tapered lower portions.

7. A life boat including a main vertical shell, a lower downwardly tapered shell connected. to the main shell at the lower end thereof, a central support consisting of a ladder and extending through the main shell and projecting above the same, a hood carried by the projecting portion of the central support, an air tank arranged exteriorly of the main shell, and inclined bracing ladders extending from the top of the air tank to the projecting portion of the central support and supported at an intermediate point by the main shell.

8. A life boat including a shell provided with a plurality of partitions forming decks and dividing the shell into separate compartments, said partitions having alined polygonal openings, a central support consisting of uprights mounted in the shell at the corners of the said openings, and rugs connecting the uprights and forming a plurality of ladders, the interior of the vertical support constituting a vertical passageway communicating with the compartments of the shell.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto al'lixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. TEKIPPE.

Witnesses:

PAUL SACK, SAM SHoRTLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, I). G. 

